EXPANSION SQUAD JOINS STUNTS, SMASHIES, M-80s IN 2011!

by the Grand Poobah

(ST. LOUIS) It was inevitable - the league was bursting at the seams.

The interest in roller derby the last few years - both nationally and in the St. Louis area - has generated unprecedented growth in the sport.  Not only in terms of attendance, but also in the number of athletes - both traditional and non-traditional - who elect to “lace the quads” and participate in the sport.

Locally, the Arch Rival Roller Girls saw one of its largest recruitment classes ever in 2010. Skaters of various disciplines wanted to engage in the high-impact athleticism of flat track roller derby.

Add this list to the pre-existing list of non-rostered skaters - those without an official team - who were already participating in practices and volunteering at events. The end result was a large group of skaters who desired to one day skate full-time with an ARRG intraleague franchise.

Sounds like a good problem to have, right? Well, not quite.

More and more rookies and recruits in the mix meant that fewer skaters had a chance to make the roster for a league that only had three intraleague franchises, each containing approximately 15 skaters.

Even with the retirement of ARRG skaters - only four this season - openings were at a premium.

In short, ARRG had a lot of skaters participating who didn’t have a “home.”

And for a league that prides itself on “acceptance,” to unfortunately deny hard-working athletes an opportunity to compete due to a lack of roster openings was contradictory to its mission: to help the league - and the sport - grow.

To its credit, as the league saw the numbers of participants grow, it realized that it had to grow as well.

A major step was recently taken by ARRG to set the long-term plan into motion - not only to provide an opportunity for the stars of tomorrow a platform to shine, but to also continue the development of the league as the decade progresses.

The Arch Rival Roller Girls are proud to officially announce the formation of a fourth ARRG intraleague team. The new team - to be officially named in the Fall - will join the Stunt Devils, the Smashinistas and the M-80s in intraleague action beginning next season.

Unlike other sports - where expansion teams often contain a roster of “unknowns” who do not have the depth to compete against established squads - the new ARRG franchise will consist primarily of derby veterans, some with All-Star and travel team experience.

The remainder of the expansion team’s roster will consist of recently-transplanted derby veterans and unrostered rookies who were selected in a supplemental draft last week in St. Louis.

This exciting news is expected to alleviate the “growing pains” experienced by the league - and to more importantly set the template into place for future growth.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKED

Earlier this season, an informal poll was conducted amongst the league to see if there was enough interest to expand to a fourth intraleague team. Overwhelmingly, the results favorably showed interest.

In July, ARRG accepted submissions from rostered skaters - those on pre-existing ARRG teams - to join the expansion team. Once again, there was overwhelming support from the veterans, who found the excitement of creating and cultivating a new franchise a golden opportunity for league growth and development.

Once all names were submitted, the culmination of the roster’s core - as determined by the ARRG Board of Directors and its coaching committee - would take into consideration a skater’s tenure in the league and their experience of play. This would result in parity amongst the four teams and provide fairness for the three pre-existing teams who were potentially losing rostered skaters from their 2010 line-up.

On July 22, ARRG released the list of the first nine rostered players selected for the new franchise. Five days later, the fourth team’s roster was supplemented with a draft of non-rostered players.

When the dust had finally settled, ARRG realized it had made a step in the right direction.

Here is the roster for ARRG’s newest intraleague franchise…

Starry Starry Fight (Jammer - Acquired from the Stunt Devils) Returning back to the Gateway City, this high-octane skater gives the expansion team an immediate scoring presence. ARRG’s 2010 scoring champ posted 151 points in only three bouts. A two-year ARRG All-Star, Fight brings veteran skills (and a rested body) to the fold. An immediate, major impact player!

 

Smarty McFly (Jammer, Blocker - Acquired from the Stunt Devils) 2009’s ARRG Rookie of the Year is multi-dimensional, versatile at both jammer and pivot. Injuries took toll in 2010. Rested body and rejuvenated spirit in upcoming season will make this multifaceted skater huge threat to the opposition.

 

Nikki Vixxen (Jammer, Blocker - Acquired from the M-80s) Co-captain of former team should easily skate into a “mentor” position with expansion team. Veteran leadership is what this dual specialist brings to the table. When jamming, extremely effective. When blocking, even more so. Scored 20 points in January 2010 bout.

 

Chewblocka (Blocker - Acquired from the Stunt Devils) Recent transplant from the Buckeye State is a three-time Ohio Roller Girls’ Blocker of the Year. Made immediate splash by joining the ARRG All-Stars late in travel team season. New turf and new team brings huge upswing to portfolio.

 

Domme E. Nation (Blocker - Acquired from the Stunt Devils) 2010 ARRG All-Star has great track presence and powerful upper body strength. Very effective in educating younger players about the sport. Will be needed in the role with younger line-up.

 

SueShe (Pivot, Blocker - Acquired from the Smashinistas) Returning back to 100% in 2010, this aggressive ARRG vet spent plenty of track time in her primary position. Great conditioning. Easy money bet that she’s your starting pivot.

 

Bertha Venus (Blocker - Acquired from the Stunts Devils) ARRG vet gets chance to shine with new team. Former team’s depth at blocker position kept track activity low in 2010. Desire is there - opportunity awaits.

 

Ginny Beastly (Blocker - Acquired from the Smashinistas) Young blocker showed steady improvement as season progressed. More track time will give her valuable experience. Possible pivot candidate.

 

Rock Steady (Blocker - Acquired from the Smashinistas) 2010 mid-season call-up gets opportunity to break through with expansion team. Good size. Good conditioning.

 

 

Party Foul (Jammer, Blocker - Formerly of Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls) Fresh to the Show-Me State from Bloomington, IN, this two-year derby vet has picked up a lot of accolades in short time. Won “Veteran Blocker” award in her final year for the Flatliners. Fans voted her one of the finalists in jammer category. Solid acquisition.

 

Zo D. Ax (Jammer, Blocker - Formerly of Star City Rollergirls) Four-year vet from Roanoke, VA’s derby franchise is new to town. Considered a “stealth jammer” from former teammates. Will make immediate splash in Gateway City.

 

Kalestorm (Blocker, Jammer - Rookie Acquisition) Strong spring activity leads to immediate call-up to intraleague. According to insiders, has “dedicated 110% towards improvement.” Might be expansion team’s unsuspecting surprise. 

 

Badonka Bam (Blocker, Jammer - Rookie Acquisition) Impressed braintrust with effort at ARRG rookie bout vs. St. Chux Derby Chix. Willing to put body on the line for squad. Trains with ARRG All-Star travel team regularly.

 

As one can see, the lineup for this new expansion team features a wide variety of weapons. This team very well could compete for the top spot in ARRG next season.

Now onto a burning question: Now with a fourth team in the mix, what does this mean for ARRG future bouts at the All-American Sports Mall?

To be honest (and honesty is always the best policy), I’m not at liberty to offer that information at the moment.

Let’s just say that a new era of action for ARRG will be presented to the public in due time.

And I think…..no, I KNOW…..that you will enjoy it!

COMING NEXT MONDAY TO THE ARRG NEWSCENTER:

The Countdown to ARRGageddon is on! The two-day, six-bout invitational brings three nationally-ranked squads to the Gateway City. We’ll preview all the action for St. Louis’ biggest derbyfest ever!  

The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this area on Mondays for latest in ARRG news and information.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at 9:16 pm and is filed under Bouts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.